Drawing Near

When I was in my late teens I read a book by John White, "Daring To Draw Near". And the one thing that has stayed with me ever since then is that God initiates, and we respond. So, what do we make of James 4:8-10? It truly seems that WE are to initiate, doesn't it? When James encourages US to "draw near..." ?

This is a good example of reading the scripture in context, and in the light of other scripture. Keeping in mind what we've learned through other scriptures, and through teachers who have spoken from their study and experience we hold onto that truth while we venture forth into scripture we haven't read, or haven't read very much of. Let's do that here, we have the quote "Draw near to God..." let's look at that first.

• James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (ESV)

We initiate, and God responds? The conversation begins earlier . . . if we go to James 4 verse one we see a slightly different story unfolding. 

• 1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

There, do you see it? James traces a path from our interpersonal conflicts straight to the God over us all, and our relationship with him. Another perhaps more subtle point is that James is confronting the blame game,

"Why are there quarrels among you?" he asks.

Think of the people in your life whom you are currently at odds with in one way or another. People you can't stand be around. People you hate. People who irk you, bug you, irritate you. Ultimately the source of your hatred and quarrel with these people can be traced back to the passions that war within you. And the message James is bringing to us as we read this forth chapter of James is that it is God who is opposing us: the proud ones.

Still following the logic here? Our struggles begin and end in at the same cross road. When we submit to God, we are also to resist the devil who will then flee. As we take time to draw near to him, God responds to our humility with his presence. He draws near to us.

After these verses of clear "steps to take" James returns to the main message. 

• James4:11-12 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers... who are you to judge your neighbor?

My response to being at odds with others is to examine my own life, and bring my passions and desires under submission to God.

"Cleanse your hands you sinners" I'd like to pursue what James means by that in another blog. I've benefited from this so far. I hope you have as well.

Amen